FIRST MINISTER Humza Yousaf is scrambling to cling on to power as Holyrood leaders line up to reject his calls for support.
Mr Yousaf narrowly won the SNP leadership election last year and then vowed to continue the coalition agreement with the Scottish Greens forged by his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon.
But a year on, his decision to ditch it has left both him and his government facing votes of no confidence.
The SNP hold 63 of the 128 seats at Holyrood, meaning that support from beyond his party will be crucial when the votes — expected on Wednesday or Thursday — take place.
Mr Yousaf wrote to all Holyrood party leaders offering meetings with each “to discuss their concerns and indeed priorities in a hopefully constructive spirit” in an effort to build the alliance needed to cling to office, but his pleas have been roundly rejected.
Tory leader Douglas Ross branded the letter “humiliating and embarrassing,” while his Liberal Democrat counterpart Alex Cole-Hamilton responded to Mr Yousaf: “Your actions this past week have eroded entirely any remaining trust that you enjoyed across the chamber.”
Green co-leader Lorna Slater said that the coalition agreement “was based on mutual trust and respect. I do have trust and respect for many of my SNP colleagues.
“But Humza Yousaf himself has broken that and he needs to face the consequences.”
The Alba Party, whose sole MSP — Ash Regan — stood against Mr Yousaf for the SNP leadership last year, is so far the only party not to reject any thoughts of a deal outright.
The party is led by former SNP leader Alex Salmond, who said Ms Regan would meet with Mr Yousaf to “make a set of reasonable proposals to help him out of a very tight corner,” despite thoughts of a deal being dismissed as “fantasy” by SNP sources.
Backing the vote of no confidence in both the First Minster and his government, Scottish Labour’s Dame Jackie Baillie commented: “This SNP government is collapsing before our eyes and no dodgy deals with Alex Salmond can save Humza Yousaf’s job.
“It’s clearly a matter of when, not if, Humza Yousaf goes — but that is not enough.
“This chaotic and divided SNP government has lost its way and cannot deliver for the people of Scotland.”
